This Ponzi Scheme Might END Suburban Prosperity

The Growth Ponzi Scheme, also called the “Municipal Ponzi Scheme,” is a core Strong Towns insight describing the financial characteristics of post-war North American growth patterns.

In the Growth Ponzi Scheme, municipalities receive the modest near-term financial benefits from new development in exchange for the larger long-term financial commitments of providing ongoing service and maintenance.

The Growth Ponzi Scheme is not nefarious; there is not a specific individual or group that has created it for their own benefit. It has emerged from a broad cultural consensus about economic growth, development patterns, and debt. So what can you do?

Lafayette Study:  

Michel Durand-Wood article: The Death of a Car City

Intro Clip: Oklahoma

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